DESCRIPTION: Epidemiology is recognized as a core component of most basic occupational health and safety professional training programs including those in industrial hygiene, occupational ergonomics, industrial safety, occupational health nursing and occupational medicine. Placement of epidemiology within the core of these training programs reflects the recognition that all occupational health professionals need to be able to interpret epidemiologic studies that examine the impact of workplace hazards on worker health and safety, and to have an understanding of the strengths and limitations of causal inference from observational studies. Current funding permits financial support of about three epidemiology students per year at either the master's or doctoral level. This proposal requests support for four MS or ScD trainees per year.